Art & Tech, Pop Festivals, Operas and many more at West Kowloon!

SerendiCity

SerendiCity, a feature programme under the banner of West Kowloon Cultural District’s (WKCD) first art and technology festival Creative Tomorrow, ran from 13 February to 5 March 2023 in the Art Park and Xiqu Centre, as well as through WKCD’s online platform. In the lawn of Art Park, the Northern Lights recreated in Hong Kong by Borealis were enjoyed by visitors every night. Visitors could also join their friends and family for a stroll in the fog to appreciate the heart moving Petrichor in the Art Park. In the Xiqu Centre, acclaimed artist Rafael Lozano-Hemmer’s Biometric Theatre presented a series of audience-centred interactive installations, including a suspended landscape of light bulbs that pulsates to the rhythm of visitor heartbeats. The Distributive Intelligence | A Group Mind by Swiss artist Lukas Truniger was also showcased in the Xiqu Centre. Hundreds of robot-like mechanical modules presented an immersive show of kinetic lights. This series of spectacular free-admission programmes were enjoyed by around 100,000 visitors at the Art Park and Xiqu Centre and 62,000 viewers on its online platform. 

Courtesy of West Kowloon Cultural District Authority

Courtesy of West Kowloon Cultural District Authority

Courtesy of West Kowloon Cultural District Authority

Shijiazhuang Hebei Bangzi Opera Troupe: Zhong Kui the Ghost-eater, Mu Guiying Taking Command and Pei Yanling: Demonstration Talk and Excerpt Performances 

Led by the Xiqu master Pei Yanling (裴艷玲), Shijiazhuang Hebei Bangzi Opera Troupe (石家莊市河北梆子劇團) and Peking Opera Research Centre of Hebei (河北省京劇藝術研究院) performed in Xiqu Centre from 17 to 19 February 2023. Apart from the two performances of Zhong Kui the Ghost-eater《鍾馗》and Mu Guiying Taking Command《穆桂英掛帥》, Ms Pei hosted Demonstration Talk and Excerpt Performances to explain the art of Xiqu and walked the audience through demonstration of the two iconic Xiqu excerpts – Pinggui Bids Farewell 《平貴別窰》and The Drunken Fight 《武松醉打蔣門神》.  

Courtesy of West Kowloon Cultural District Authority

Courtesy of West Kowloon Cultural District Authority

Courtesy of West Kowloon Cultural District Authority

HKT x WESTK POPFEST 

From 22 March to 2 April 2023, tens of thousands of visitors joined West Kowloon for 10 days of great sounds and the best of the Hong Kong pop music scene at our new festival – HKT x WESTK POPFEST. Curated by West Kowloon and proudly presented together with HKT, the inaugural POPFEST offered a vibrant programme of more than 70 ticketed and free indoor and outdoor performances of different genres and styles over 10 music-packed days. Exciting performances by over 200 singers, bands and musicians spanned across the indoor and outdoor venues of the WKCD, including Freespace, Art Park, Wonderland and M+. 

A variety of ticketed events staged in Freespace, Wonderland and M+ included: Popnorama, featuring crossover performances by 17 groups of mainstream and indie musicians; I Am What I Am – A tribute to Leslie Cheung, paying tribute to and commemorating the 20th anniversary of the passing of the Cantopop legend; Unboxed, hosting a series of four thematic music parties; M+ Live Cinema presents Dragon’s Delusion – Paracusia blending POPFEST with M+. 

A series of free live music sessions and events were also staged at the Great Lawn and Harbourside Lawn East of the Art Park and Lau Bak Livehouse throughout the POPFEST period, while Disco Night as part of the M+ at Night, featuring classic Hong Kong hits of the 1980s, was held at M+. 

Courtesy of West Kowloon Cultural District Authority

Chongqing Chuanju Theatre: Li Yaxian & A Master Selection of Sichuan Opera Excerpts 

From 28 to 30 April 2023, the “Queen of Sichuan Opera” Shen Tiemei (沈鐵梅) leads a team of top performers from the Chongqing Chuanju Theatre (重慶市川劇院) to present Li Yaxian《李亞仙》and A Master Selection of Sichuan Opera Excerpts (川劇折子戲專場) at the Xiqu Centre. 

With a history spanning over six decades, the Chongqing Chuanju Theatre has stayed committed to the preservation and innovation of Sichuan opera. The troupe is led by three-time Plum Blossom Award winner Shen Tiemei, a legendary xiqu artist who has been a key contributor in the modern development of Sichuan opera, particularly in the area of singing style innovation. 

Widely known as China’s La Traviata, Li Yaxian is adapted from a Ming dynasty folktale about the tragic romance between courtesan Li Yaxian and scholar Zheng Yuanhe.  

Alongside Li Yaxian, Chongqing Chuanju Theatre performs A Master Selection of Sichuan Opera Excerpts, also featuring Shen Tiemei and other accomplished artists. 

Courtesy of West Kowloon Cultural District Authority

Courtesy of West Kowloon Cultural District Authority

 Freespace Dance 

This spring, WKCD proudly presents Freespace Dance 2023 – the inaugural edition of a new annual dance festival in the West Kowloon Cultural District showcasing local and international contemporary dance works to audiences. Running from 14 April to 7 May 2023 at Freespace in the District, the inaugural festival showcases six cutting-edge stage performances and works-in-development created by women choreographers from different generations and cultures. The works spotlight the inventiveness and versatility of contemporary choreography, offering fresh perspectives on gender and power relations and giving new insights into the creativity and imagination of dance and movement. 

Courtesy of West Kowloon Cultural District Authority

Stay tuned for more details coming soon on our website! 

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